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Avian malaria co-infections confound infectivity and vector competence assays of Plasmodium homopolare

Currently, there are very few studies of avian malaria that investigate relationships among the host-vector-parasite triad concomitantly. In the current study, we experimentally measured the vector competence of several Culex mosquitoes for a newly described avian malaria parasite, Plasmodium homopo...

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Autores principales: Carlson, Jenny S., Nelms, Brittany, Barker, Christopher M., Reisen, William K., Sehgal, Ravinder N. M., Cornel, Anthony J.
Formato: Online Artículo Texto
Lenguaje:English
Publicado: Springer Berlin Heidelberg 2018
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6061047/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29845414
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00436-018-5924-5
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author Carlson, Jenny S.
Nelms, Brittany
Barker, Christopher M.
Reisen, William K.
Sehgal, Ravinder N. M.
Cornel, Anthony J.
author_facet Carlson, Jenny S.
Nelms, Brittany
Barker, Christopher M.
Reisen, William K.
Sehgal, Ravinder N. M.
Cornel, Anthony J.
author_sort Carlson, Jenny S.
collection PubMed
description Currently, there are very few studies of avian malaria that investigate relationships among the host-vector-parasite triad concomitantly. In the current study, we experimentally measured the vector competence of several Culex mosquitoes for a newly described avian malaria parasite, Plasmodium homopolare. Song sparrow (Melospiza melodia) blood infected with a low P. homopolare parasitemia was inoculated into a naïve domestic canary (Serinus canaria forma domestica). Within 5 to 10 days post infection (dpi), the canary unexpectedly developed a simultaneous high parasitemic infection of Plasmodium cathemerium (Pcat6) and a low parasitemic infection of P. homopolare, both of which were detected in blood smears. During this infection period, PCR detected Pcat6, but not P. homopolare in the canary. Between 10 and 60 dpi, Pcat6 blood stages were no longer visible and PCR no longer amplified Pcat6 parasite DNA from canary blood. However, P. homopolare blood stages remained visible, albeit still at very low parasitemias, and PCR was able to amplify P. homopolare DNA. This pattern of mixed Pcat6 and P. homopolare infection was repeated in three secondary infected canaries that were injected with blood from the first infected canary. Mosquitoes that blood-fed on the secondary infected canaries developed infections with Pcat6 as well as another P. cathemerium lineage (Pcat8); none developed PCR detectable P. homopolare infections. These observations suggest that the original P. homopolare-infected songbird also had two un-detectable P. cathemerium lineages/strains. The vector and host infectivity trials in this study demonstrated that current molecular assays may significantly underreport the extent of mixed avian malaria infections in vectors and hosts.
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spelling pubmed-60610472018-08-09 Avian malaria co-infections confound infectivity and vector competence assays of Plasmodium homopolare Carlson, Jenny S. Nelms, Brittany Barker, Christopher M. Reisen, William K. Sehgal, Ravinder N. M. Cornel, Anthony J. Parasitol Res Original Paper Currently, there are very few studies of avian malaria that investigate relationships among the host-vector-parasite triad concomitantly. In the current study, we experimentally measured the vector competence of several Culex mosquitoes for a newly described avian malaria parasite, Plasmodium homopolare. Song sparrow (Melospiza melodia) blood infected with a low P. homopolare parasitemia was inoculated into a naïve domestic canary (Serinus canaria forma domestica). Within 5 to 10 days post infection (dpi), the canary unexpectedly developed a simultaneous high parasitemic infection of Plasmodium cathemerium (Pcat6) and a low parasitemic infection of P. homopolare, both of which were detected in blood smears. During this infection period, PCR detected Pcat6, but not P. homopolare in the canary. Between 10 and 60 dpi, Pcat6 blood stages were no longer visible and PCR no longer amplified Pcat6 parasite DNA from canary blood. However, P. homopolare blood stages remained visible, albeit still at very low parasitemias, and PCR was able to amplify P. homopolare DNA. This pattern of mixed Pcat6 and P. homopolare infection was repeated in three secondary infected canaries that were injected with blood from the first infected canary. Mosquitoes that blood-fed on the secondary infected canaries developed infections with Pcat6 as well as another P. cathemerium lineage (Pcat8); none developed PCR detectable P. homopolare infections. These observations suggest that the original P. homopolare-infected songbird also had two un-detectable P. cathemerium lineages/strains. The vector and host infectivity trials in this study demonstrated that current molecular assays may significantly underreport the extent of mixed avian malaria infections in vectors and hosts. Springer Berlin Heidelberg 2018-05-29 2018 /pmc/articles/PMC6061047/ /pubmed/29845414 http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00436-018-5924-5 Text en © The Author(s) 2018 Open Access This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made.
spellingShingle Original Paper
Carlson, Jenny S.
Nelms, Brittany
Barker, Christopher M.
Reisen, William K.
Sehgal, Ravinder N. M.
Cornel, Anthony J.
Avian malaria co-infections confound infectivity and vector competence assays of Plasmodium homopolare
title Avian malaria co-infections confound infectivity and vector competence assays of Plasmodium homopolare
title_full Avian malaria co-infections confound infectivity and vector competence assays of Plasmodium homopolare
title_fullStr Avian malaria co-infections confound infectivity and vector competence assays of Plasmodium homopolare
title_full_unstemmed Avian malaria co-infections confound infectivity and vector competence assays of Plasmodium homopolare
title_short Avian malaria co-infections confound infectivity and vector competence assays of Plasmodium homopolare
title_sort avian malaria co-infections confound infectivity and vector competence assays of plasmodium homopolare
topic Original Paper
url https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6061047/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29845414
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00436-018-5924-5
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